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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28096623">Wish Upon A Star</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MachineryField/pseuds/MachineryField'>MachineryField</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Marching to the Beat (of Someone Else's Drum) [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Xenoblade Chronicles</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canonical Character Death, Dreams, Egil (Xenoblade Chronicles) Lives, Gen, Past Character Death, Survivor Guilt</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 20:53:34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,165</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28096623</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MachineryField/pseuds/MachineryField</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Egil finds Shulk staring up at the stars in the new world he’s created, and for a moment, he thinks of walking away. He doesn’t want to interrupt whatever he’s thinking about, he seems utterly enamored by the sky and would hate to ruin that… But then Shulk stops and turns, smiling at him.</p><p>“Would you like to look at the stars with me?” He asks, his voice soft.</p><p>Egil nods and makes his way over, leaning against the railing and looking up with him. It was nice out, peaceful -- just as every night has been since the end of Zanza’s reign of terror. Egil is still getting used to it again, unaccustomed to it. But next to Shulk he thinks he can handle it.</p><p>That’s when he sees a green star glittering in the distance.</p><p>(Or: Egil finds out about the man who saved him and his motivations.)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Egil &amp; Alvis (Xenoblade Chronicles), Egil &amp; Shulk (Xenoblade Chronicles)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Marching to the Beat (of Someone Else's Drum) [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2058093</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Wish Upon A Star</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>More of this AU already? Yes bc I'm in a Mood:tm:</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Egil finds Shulk staring up at the stars in the new world he’s created, and for a moment, he thinks of walking away. He doesn’t want to interrupt whatever he’s thinking about, he seems utterly enamored by the sky and would hate to ruin that… But then Shulk stops and turns, smiling at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Would you like to look at the stars with me?” He asks, his voice soft.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Egil nods and makes his way over, leaning against the railing and looking up with him. It was nice out, peaceful -- just as every night has been since the end of Zanza’s reign of terror. Egil is still getting used to it again, unaccustomed to it. But next to Shulk he thinks he can handle it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That’s when he sees a green star glittering in the distance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He blinks a few times, and rubs his eyes, but it stays there. The light he had seen when he was drowning in the Endless Sea, the very last thing he had touched, is there in the sky. He wonders if he’s going crazy when his eyes won’t leave it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You see it too?” Shulk laughs a bit. “A bit odd for there to be a green star in this sky, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Very odd.” He continues to stare, a scowl coming to his face. “Do you… know what it is?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, curious?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, I…” He nods and wonders for a moment if he should stop there. “I saw a light just like that when I was dying.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shulk’s eyes widen as he turns to look at it too. “You mean Alvis is the one who brought you back?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alvis…” Egil racks his brain for a face, but comes up empty. “Who is Alvis?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, I don’t know if you even noticed him, but he was there on Valak Mountain. When we first met.” Shulk grimaces at the memory and Egil understands. Their first meeting was not one most would consider worth remembering. “He was the Homs dressed in purple.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I remember he looked quite annoyed at my appearance.” He sniffs. “A shock to hear he was the one to save me. But how could a mere Homs do that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He… took on the form of one, but he wasn’t really one.” Shulk shakes his head. “He said he’s a machine, but I think he’s something more. This universe we’re standing in now, it’s all thanks to him that it exists. All done thanks to my wish…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s… quite the power.” His chest hurts as he wonders to himself why someone so powerful wasted their time on him, instead of saving Lady Meyneth. “...I wonder what this Alvis would have to say, if I could meet him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who knows? Alvis is a bit mysterious.” Shulk chuckles a bit. “But I know he’s a good guy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was more than could be said about him, Egil thinks. A good guy who saved a wretched soul like Egil and helped Shulk make a world where there could be peace. It’s strange to think someone like that is out there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He wonders if one day he could actually meet him and talk to him. He has so many questions for him, but no clue if he can ever ask them. He supposes that doesn’t matter for now, and he’s sure that Vanea would scold him if she knew he was thinking about the past again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He steps away from the railing and sighs. “I think I’m ready to turn in for the night now. Good night, Shulk.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shulk turns to face him and gives a small wave. “Good night, Egil. Have sweet dreams.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>--</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Egil opens his eyes and finds himself floating in what can only be described as the space Vanea told him about going to. He wonders for a second if this is a nightmare, or perhaps Zanza coming from beyond the grave to torture him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But instead, there’s just a man -- the annoyed man from Valak Mountain with his back to him. Egil wonders for a second if this is all a coincidence -- Egil finding out about Alvis the same day he dreams of him -- or if it’s all planned. He stares at his back for a while before finally speaking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, you’re the man I should thank for being here today.” He looks away with a frown. “Saving a wretch of a man instead of Lady Meyneth, though… I cannot say I understand.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was simply a matter of what I could risk. Zanza was too close when Meyneth passed, and the amount of ether would easily be sensed.” His words are logical, but his voice is strained with emotion. “Besides, her wish… She would have been disappointed in me to ignore it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Egil looks at his feet. “A world with no need for gods.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Indeed.” Egil finally turns his gaze back to Alvis, but Alvis still does not turn to face him. “I decided the least I could do was save a life she wanted to save -- one Zanza so happily snuffed out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So you saved me to honor Lady Meyneth’s memory and to spite Zanza, then?” He frowns, guilt still eating at him, unable to simply accept this.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That, and, well… I suppose it was a bonus Shulk took an interest in you.” Finally, Alvis turns and Egil sees a small, sad smile on his face. “More support for him with what he had to face… that wasn’t a bad idea.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Egil can’t stand to look at Alvis anymore, so once again he turns his gaze away. “I suppose there is some sense to that. But why not someone more befitting a second chance? That man, Gadolt, or the emperor of the High Entia?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They were long dead by the time I made the choice to bring someone back.” Alvis shakes his head. “Even for one such as myself, there is a limit to what I can do. I was only able to save you because it was the very moment of your death that I acted -- before the ether and your soul had time to dissolve away.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see…” He nods, and bites down a bitter bit of bile threatening to rise. “...I’m sorry. It is because of me that Lady Meyneth--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alvis holds up a hand, suddenly in front of Egil (when did he get there, Egil wonders for a moment). “It is the fault of Zanza, Egil. For deciding the peace you and Lady Meyneth both strived for was undesirable.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was still the one who did those horrible things to the Homs, who led them to search for the Monado.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I cannot deny that you are correct, but as they acted in retaliation, you were doing the same.” Alvis shakes his head. “Perhaps, instead of wallowing in pity, you should take it to heart. Be better than Zanza was, Egil. Become a person who learns from your mistakes, rather than dig your heels in.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Egil opens his mouth to reply, and he wakes up.</span>
</p>
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